Boks-All Blacks rugby rivalry series in US

Article posted by Coliseum, February 16^th, 2026

Image: M&T Bank Stadium, Matthew Binebrink, CC BY-SA 4.0

The South Africa national rugby union team Springboks and the New Zealand national rugby union team – All Blacks – will play the fourth and final Test of their ‘Greatest Rivalry’ series at the home of the National Football League (NFL) team Baltimore Ravens – the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland (US) – in September as the World Rugby ramps up its attempts to sell the sport to the United States ahead of the 2031 World Cup.

‘ESPN’ stated that the announcement was made recently with the M&T Bank Stadium Test on September 12^th completing what is an eight-game schedule for the All Blacks, the first seven of which will all be played in South Africa. It is also a move in step with New Zealand Rugby’s (the governing body for rugby union in New Zealand) commercial aspirations which saw them strike a deal with the private equity firm Silver Lake in 2022.

The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks, is South Africa’s national team governed by the South African Rugby Union.

Cape Town (South Africa)-based the South African Rugby Union, commonly known as SA Rugby, is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa overseeing the national team (the Springboks), the provincial unions and amateur rugby.

The New Zealand national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in Men’s rugby union which is considered New Zealand’s national sport. Famed for their international success the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore (US). The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division. The M&T Bank Stadium serves as their home facility.

The 70,745-capacity M&T Bank Stadium is a multipurpose stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, US. It has been the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) since its opening in 1998.

Dublin (Ireland)-based the World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby organizes the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport’s most recognized and most profitable competition.

The 2031 Rugby World Cup will be the 12^th edition of the Men’s tournament hosted for the first time in the United States marking the event’s debut in the Americas. Scheduled for September–October 2031 it will feature 27 potential Host Cities and may expand to 24 teams.

Menlo Park (US)-based Silver Lake is a global technology investment firm with more than $116 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital and a team of professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia. Silver Lake’s portfolio companies collectively generate approximately $263 billion of revenue annually and employ approximately 435,000 people globally.

‘ESPN’ further stated that New Zealand will return to the States for the second straight year after they defeated Ireland at a sold-out 61,500-capacity Soldier Field in Chicago (US) last year. Only this time they will do it with a new coach following the shock sacking of Scott Robertson.

Stated Steve Lancaster, Interim New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive, “Having the opportunity to once again play in the United States less than a year after our last game is exciting for the All Blacks and for New Zealand Rugby. The US is an important market for us and for rugby more broadly as we look ahead to Rugby World Cup 2031. This will mark the fourth time the team has played in the US in five years so it’s great to be in another new City to show sports fans the spectacle and excitement of rugby. Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry aims to be unlike any other and playing in a City with the potential to form a part of the 2031 Rugby World Cup just adds another layer to this tour. We look forward to welcoming fans of the All Blacks and the haka (a traditional, powerful Māori posture dance from New Zealand) in Baltimore in September.”

The New Zealand Rugby and their South Africa Rugby counterparts created the ‘Greatest Rugby Rivalry’ concept in a bid to revive old-school international tours but the Rugby Championship, also contested by Australia and Argentina, will not be played in 2026 as a result.

It does loom as a huge money-spinner for both South Africa and New Zealand, though, with three Tests to be played in the Republic while the All Blacks will also face the New Zealand’s four United Rugby Championship sides setting the stage for the conclusion in Baltimore.

Remarked Rian Oberholzer, head honcho, South Africa Rugby, “Taking the Springboks to new audiences and territories is a key objective for South African rugby and the opportunity to do so in a ground-breaking match against our fiercest rivals was a major determinant in where the fourth Test would be played. With the fans getting the opportunity to see the Boks in action against the All Blacks in three home Tests the chance to share the excitement in the US is an exciting one compounded by the fact that both Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cup will be heading to the US in a few years’ time. While the All Blacks have played in the US often in the past the Boks have only played there twice this millennium and we’re very excited to take them to Baltimore and engage with a developing rugby ecosystem.”

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